What is Hearing Loss ?

Figures indicate that one out of seven individuals does not have full hearing and one out of ten hears so poorly that a hearing instrument would help.
Studies (Maastricht report on hearing impairment, 1999) also underline the fact that only a minority – less than 14% in the EU – of those for whom a hearing instrument would be beneficial actually use one.

The degree of hearing loss varies from one person to another
Between the two extremes of hearing well and hearing nothing, there are many degrees of impairment. The terms used to describe the degree of hearing loss are mild, moderate, severe and profound. Most hearing losses are mild to moderate.
What does the degree of hearing loss mean?

• Mild hearing loss: unable to hear soft sounds, difficulty in understanding speech clearly in noisy environments.
  
  
• Moderate hearing loss: unable to hear soft and moderately loud sounds, considerable difficulty in understanding speech, particularly with noise in the background.
  
  
• Severe hearing loss: some loud sounds are audible but communication without a hearing instrument is impossible.
  
  
• Profound hearing loss: some extremely loud sounds are audible but communication without a hearing instrument is impossible.

Types of hearing loss:

Essentially, there are two types of hearing loss: conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss (medically treatable conditions)
With a conductive hearing loss, the inner ear (3) functions normally, but something affects the outer (1) or middle ear (2) , hindering sound from reaching the inner ear. Conductive hearing losses are mild-to-moderate in degree and are usually temporary and treatable. You can simulate a conductive hearing loss by plugging your ears with your fingers. Sounds from the outside are softer while your own voice actually sounds louder than normal.

Sensorineural hearing loss (treatable with modern technology)
This is a hearing loss, that relates directly with the Cochlea (or organ of hearing) (3). The tiny hair cells, which detect sound, may not be working properly or might have been damaged. Sometimes, the fibers of the auditory nerve (4) in the cochlea are not transmitting the sounds correctly. This prevents the signals from reaching the brain and so they are not heard. This type of hearing loss can often benefit from the right technology. There are now wide arrays of options available.

Mixed Hearing Loss
Sometimes a combination of factors occurs and affects both the middle ear and the inner ear (cochlea), resulting in a mixed hearing loss.

Degrees of hearing loss
The table below offers a guide to the different degrees of hearing loss, the decibel level (unit to measure sound) and an example to demonstrate the loudness of these levels. The examples offer an approximate guide only. Outcomes depend on the needs and abilities of each individual child. Your doctor or hearing care professional can offer more detailed information about your own child.